Titanic: The sequel
by theladyinblue
Summary: A Jack lives fanfic. But this has a new twist. This is my first fan fic please read and rewiew. CURRENTLY ON HOLD
1. Chapter 1

TITANIC: The Sequel

BY Justmeinct

Summary: A Jack lives fic- but there is another twist.

Disclaimer: Jack, Rose and all of the movie characters are not mine.

Chapter One: Steerage

Rose had done it- she had managed to save the man she loved. Now they just had to get off the ship alive. They managed to find their way to the main staircase in steerage, but so had hundreds of other steerage passengers all desperate to get off the sinking ship before it was too late. Suddenly, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder, she turned to face Bert Cartmell, " yes" she said, " I'm sorry to bother you miss, but I need your help, I need you to bring my daughter up to the boat deck, you see you have much more of a chance to get up there then I do, please". Rose recognized the man's daughter. It was Cora, the little girl that Jack had danced with that night at the steerage dance. She turned to Jack, to get his opinion. "Take her" he said. She walked over to Mr. Cartmell and told him that she would take Cora. Mr. Cartmell spoke quickly because there wasn't much time. He said that he would find them if he happened to survive, but if he did not survive, to put Cora in an orphanage. He then quietly said goodbye to his daughter and placed her hand in Rose's hand. "Take care of her" he told Rose. Then Jack, Tommy and Fabritizo pulled out the bench and Rose began trying to get people out of the way. Finally, they tore down the fence and began running toward the boat deck.

The boat deck was a loud and crowded place. Jack and Rose began looking for the nearest lifeboat to put Cora in. Finally, they managed to find a boat on the other side of the ship. This boat was one of the few that took men too. So they got on the boat, all three of them. Rose thought of her future with Jack and smiled to herself. Then she thought of Cal and her mother. They would surely find her and make her go along with their plan.


	2. Chapter 2

Regrets and Realizations: Ruth

Ruth Dewitt Bukater was in shock; she had just seen the ship that was called unsinkable go down into the cold dark ocean. All of Ruth's hopes and dreams went down with that ship and now she was beginning to realize what she had lost. Her beloved daughter Rose was probably in that icy water freezing to death or had already succumbed to hypothermia.

"Don't worry Ruth, I'm sure Rose is ok" Said Molly Brown

Ruth desperately hoped that Molly was right and that Rose was safe in one of the other lifeboats. She then remembered Cal Hockley; he had never been the ideal man for Rose. Even Ruth saw that but she was too worried about money and about her place in the high society of Philadelphia to care about Rose's needs. She had seen how unhappy Rose had been since they announced the engagement but she failed to say anything. She had allowed her daughter to be trapped in a one-sided relationship.

Ruth suddenly had a vision of Rose as a little girl, running barefoot on the grass, her red hair flailing in the wind. She heard her shouting, " look at me mommy, look at me". She then saw her daughter on the day they set out on the Titanic. She looked like she was headed to a funeral instead of her wedding. Then Ruth saw her daughter's face on the night that Jack had come to dinner in first class. It was the first time Ruth had seen her daughter truly happy in a long time. Suddenly she was snapped back to the reality by the sound of whistles and someone shouting that they had spotted a ship.


	3. Chapter 3

Starting Over

It had been a very long night for Jack and Rose. Cora had gone into hysterics after she had seen the ship go down so Jack and Rose had to spend most of the night trying to calm her down. But they didn't know what to do now. They couldn't keep telling her that it was going to be all right and that she was going to see her father again. Jack and Rose both knew that the chance of a third class man surviving the sinking was slim to none. They had finally succeeded in calming Cora down and now she was asleep. Suddenly, Jack saw the Carpathia in the distance. He gently tapped Rose on the shoulder to wake her up and then Rose woke up Cora. The little girl instinctively began asking for her father. Rose had to remind her that the ship had sank and that they didn't know if her father had made it out.

Soon, Jack, Rose and Cora made their way toward the Carpathia. When they boarded the ship, one of the officers asked for their names, Jack gave their names and said that Rose was his wife. She smiled because she hoped that she would really be his wife soon.

Then, they were led to a dining hall where they were fed hot soup and offered tea or coffee. While Rose and Cora were eating, Jack went to see about Cora's father.

Sure enough, the news wasn't good- Cora's father hadn't made it. Jack thought about how to best tell Cora that her father was gone and that she was now an orphan.

He slowly headed back into the dining hall and joined Rose and Cora at the table. When she saw Jack coming toward her, Rose asked one of the ladies to keep an eye on Cora and then stepped out to talk to Jack.

"Well" she said

" He didn't make it" Jack told her.

" What do we do with her now?" asked Rose

" We put her in an orphanage, I suppose. I mean that is what her father said to do with her if he didn't make it." Jack said.

" That's absurd, the last thing her father told me to do was to take care of her. That is what we are going to do. What that little girl needs most is a family, and that is what we are going to give her. She didn't survive the sinking of the Titanic only to spend her childhood in an orphanage." Rose said. So that was that, Jack and Rose were keeping Cora.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Makings of a Family**

The Carpathia arrived in New York early the next morning. Jack, Rose and Cora disembarked with all other third class passengers. New York Harbor was a busy place filled with people. It was this fact that made Rose feel less nervous about being discovered by mother and Cal. Sure enough, they managed to get into the city without being discovered. Their next task was finding a place to stay while they got settled in New York. They managed to find a shelter that was taking Titanic survivors and helping them out. Once they arrived at the shelter, they were given a small room and some clothing.

Cora managed to make a few friends and even found one of her playmates from the Titanic at the shelter. After supper, Cora stayed downstairs in the multipurpose room while Jack and Rose went upstairs. All Rose wanted to do was to collapse on the bed in exhaustion but Jack had other plans. He retrieved a small square shaped box from his pocket and sat down on the bed next to Rose.

" I never got the chance to do this properly, but I guess now is the time." He said

" What" said Rose

" Rose Dewitt Bukater will you do me the honor of marrying me?" he asked

Rose's eyes lit up and then she turned to him and said yes.

He then gave her the ring, and then she turned and kissed him. They couldn't stop smiling at each other all evening and were deliriously happy.

The next day, Jack and Rose went job hunting. At first, they had no luck in finding jobs. Then Jack got a job as an artist for an advertising firm. Sure, it wasn't the kind of art he liked but the job paid well and the hours weren't bad. His job would be to make drawings for the advertisements. Rose also managed to find a job. She would work for a laundry. Her job would be to repair clothing (darn socks, sew on buttons that had come off, etc), it was boring but at least she would get to work at home. At the end of the day, Jack had managed to secure his family an apartment in the tenement district of Brooklyn.

Rose was thrilled that she was finally able to settle down with the man she loved. Little did the young lovers know of what was to come.


	5. Chapter 5

The Calm before the Storm

Part 1

Jack and Rose managed to adjust to their new lives very quickly. The young couple got married that summer in a small civil ceremony. It took them a while to get a marriage license since according to the records; Rose Dewitt Bukater had died in the sinking of the Titanic. It seemed hopeless for a while until Rose ran into someone from her old life that managed to help her. Rose and Cora had been out walking in Central Park that day. They had been having a good time; laughing and sharing jokes. When suddenly a very familiar woman went walking by. That woman was Molly Brown.

" Rose, it can't be you" said Molly

"it is me, but I am Rose Dawson now, please don't tell mother or Cal that you met me" said Rose

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. But you must tell me what you and Jack have been up to," said Molly

Rose told Molly about her life since the sinking and Molly agreed to help her. So, Molly had to tell the judge that Rose was who she said she was. Soon after, the death certficate under Rose's name was voided and Jack and Rose were married.

About a month after the wedding, Rose announced that she was pregnant. Jack was thrilled but scared at the same time. He and Rose had just got married and already they were going to have two kids (Cora and the new baby). After Rose's announcement, they decided to make Cora a part of the family. So in August, Jack and Rose officially adopted Cora.

Cora was happy that she was going to be a big sister, but she still missed her parents and cried about them at night. She quickly made friends with Elsie Gaddis, the little girl that lived across the hall from the Dawsons. Elsie was Cora's age and the girls would be going to the same school in September. September came fast and Cora started the second grade at school.

Life was busier then ever for Jack and Rose. Rose had begun doubling up on the amount of work that she took in so that they had enough money for baby things and for the bigger apartment that they were going to need. Jack worked harder then usual so that maybe he would get an extra Christmas bonus. Life was good for the Dawson Family.


	6. Chapter 6

The Calm before the Storm

Part 2

By springtime, everything was in full bloom, including Rose. By March, she looked huge and was uncomfortable. She still worked, but now it was only when she had the energy. Rose was terrified that her boss was going to say that she was too slow and then fire her. But fortunately that never happened, what did happen was that the boss arranged for another girl to have Rose's workload in the first few weeks of April (around the time she was due). Jack was scared that Rose would go into labor while he was away at work. By, April, Jack and Cora treated Rose as if she was a ticking time bomb due to go off at any second. Rose found that irritating but she liked the attention.

By the second week of April, Rose was tired and huge and all she wanted was for the baby to come out. That wish was going to come true soon.

Rose's labor came one afternoon when she had been sitting out on the stoop watching Cora and her friends play jump rope. It came suddenly with one big pain roaring through her and then the breakage of her water. Cora saw that Rose looked like she was in pain so she ran up and asked if she was ok.

" No, help me up, the baby is coming" said Rose

Cora carefully helped Rose up, walked her to the apartment, and then called Mrs. Gaddis to help. Mrs. Gaddis then sent her son Henry (Elsie's older brother) to get the midwife.

Cora was shooed away from the apartment so she went to play outside. Around 6pm, Jack arrived and Cora ran up to him and told him that the baby was coming. Suddenly, they saw Mrs. Gaddis stick her head out the window and heard her shout that supper was ready and that Cora and Jack were welcome to stay.

Jack and Cora didn't eat much at dinner because they were so nervous. Each time they heard Rose yell, they got increasingly nervous. Jack thought of his mother who had died giving birth to his youngest brother Christopher. Jack remembered how his father was a changed man after the loss of his wife, all sullen and gray. For a time it was almost as if Jack and his older brother Bill were on their own. It got even worse after Christopher had died at the age of three. Jack and Bill were the only two Dawson brothers to live to adulthood. But tragically, both Bill and his father died when their town was hit by a flu epidemic, Jack was one of the few who had made it out alive. He decided that if the baby was a boy then they would name him Bill.

Suddenly, Mrs. Gaddis said that the midwife was asking for Jack. He was scared, what if Rose was sick or dead? He couldn't lose her.

" Well, how is she?" he asked the midwife.

" Your wife is fine, she is asleep. Your wife had a healthy baby girl"

_A daughter_ He though _I have a daughter. _

" Can I see her?" asked Jack

The midwife said yes and so Jack went into the bedroom to see Rose. She was asleep and in a basinet next to the bed was the baby. He carefully took the baby out of the basinet and took her over to the Gaddis apartment to introduce her.

By the time Jack and Cora returned to the apartment, Rose was awake and mad at Jack for taking the baby without telling her.

" You were asleep. What was I supposed to do wake you up?" said Jack

" You could have left a note" said Rose

" what is the baby's name?" asked Cora

" That is a good question" said Jack, turning to Rose

" I say we call her Molly Elizabeth Dawson" said Rose

Everyone agreed that that was a good name and it was settled. Rose wanted to introduce Molly to her grandma Ruth, because Molly didn't have any arguments with Ruth, Rose did so why should Molly be robbed of having a grandma. Rose managed to find Ruth through some cousins that lived in Philadelphia. They told her that Ruth lived in New York City and was working as a seamstress. They gave Rose a current address for Ruth and wished her luck. So, Rose took Molly and Cora and went to find Ruth. She wondered what her mother was like now and how she would react to seeing her again.

Ruth was in shock when she opened the door to find her daughter standing there. She welcomed Rose warmly and it was as if nothing ever happened between them.

Ruth adored her new granddaughter and her adopted granddaughter. She even accepted Jack as Rose's husband. The sinking of the Titanic had changed Ruth Dewitt Bukater into a new person and Rose liked that new person.

Meanwhile Cal Hockley had found out that Rose was alive and he was angry. Sure, he was married to another woman, but it was still Rose that he wanted. So he began plotting. He would have Rose back even if it was the last thing he ever did.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's warning: This chapter contains references to guns and some questionable language. Thanks for the Reviews. Read on!**

Cal's Return

For a while things were hectic in the Dawson household, after all, a new baby was a lot of work. Rose and Jack worked harder then ever, sometimes even taking in more work and working extra hours. Ruth managed to do her own work and spent a lot of time helping Rose with the baby. Everyone agreed that Molly was one of the happiest babies that they had ever seen. Little did they know the nightmare that was to come.

It started on a cold dreary day in November. It was evening and Rose and Cora were sitting around the kitchen table. Rose was helping Cora with math homework. She had kept the front door unlocked so that Jack didn't need to rummage for his key when he got home. Usually he was home by this time, but today he was working overtime. This was safe since the door to the building was locked. So when she heard footsteps in the hall, she thought it was Jack. She felt someone holding her shoulders, so she turned around thinking it was Jack- but it wasn't. It was Cal! She was shocked and she wondered who had told him. She thought briefly about Ruth, but she couldn't have been putting on an act all of this time, could she?

" You are coming with me Rose" said Cal

" I am not yours to command Cal, I do as I please" responded Rose

Then, he took out a gun and pointed it at the back of her head. Cora gasped and she wanted to yell out for help. Rose was frozen in terror and she prayed that Jack would come home. Suddenly she had an idea, she went and picked up the baby from the playpen and held her tightly. He couldn't possibly shoot a woman holding a child.

" You can't take my mommy!" shouted Cora

" Watch me" said Cal

" I'll call the police on you" said Cora

" If you call the police then your mother here gets it" replied Cal

Rose followed Cal out the door, she had to go peacefully for the children's sake.

Then she turned to Cora and whispered, " tell daddy".

Jack came home ten minutes later to find Cora home alone.

" Where is your mother and Molly?" he wanted to know

" Some man took mommy and Molly" said Cora

" what did he look like?" asked Jack

The minute Cora described the man who took Rose, Jack knew who it was: Cal.

Then Jack raced down the street to use the telephone in the corner store. He quickly dialed Ruth's phone number. Luckily Ruth was home and came over as soon as she heard Jack's story.

" I never thought he'd stoop so low as to kidnap someone" said Ruth

Then they dropped Cora off at the Gaddis apartment and headed to the Hockley's New York mansion. They had to find Rose and the baby- fast

**Stay Tuned to see what happens next- chapter 8 coming soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Finding Cal**

By the time Ruth and Jack arrived at the Hockley mansion, it was late at night. At first, the maid that answered the door didn't recognize Ruth at all. This had been the same maid that had been assigned to Ruth and Rose a year and a half ago when Rose and Cal were engaged.

" Can I help you miss" asked the maid

" We are looking for Mr. Caledon Hockley, is he in?" asked Ruth

" I'm sorry but he and Mrs. Hockley are out at a dinner party at the Vanderbilt house, they won't be in until much later." Said the maid

" Then is Mr. Nathan Hockley at home?" asked Ruth

" Yes, who may I say is asking for him?"

" Just tell him that Ruth is here"

The maid went away for a time, then came back, and motioned for Ruth and Jack to follow her. She led them to the parlor, then she went back down the hall and Nathan Hockley came in the room.

" Ruth, my god what's happened to you?" asked Nathan

" Life" said Ruth

" This is Mr. Jack Dawson, my son-in-law, he and I have come on a very serious matter"

" Son in law, well that cannot be possible, Rose is dead" said Nathan

" Oh no sir, she's very much alive" Said Jack

" and very much in trouble" added Ruth

" well, can I help in any way?" asked Nathan

Ruth and Jack proceeded to tell Cal's father everything that happened to Rose since the Titanic had sunk and then all about the kidnapping. Nathan agreed that Rose and Cal were wrong for each other and then he said that Cal could never let women out of his life easily. He said that he would help in any way possible. Suddenly, they heard the front door open and then heard Cal's voice in the hallway. Then Cal came into the parlor to face his father, Ruth and Jack.

" Well, Well it seems Dawson has finally caught up with me , oh and he dragged Ruth along as well" said Cal.

" Caledon Hockley, this time you have gone too far, release Rose and her daughter immediately!" shouted Nathan

" Never, she belongs to me, we signed a contract agreeing that Rose was to marry me, if she is alive and well, then that contract is still in place" said Cal

Nathan reminded Cal that the contract became null and void the day that Rose married Jack and then the day when Cal married Harriett. Cal still refuse to budge and insisted that Rose was his. Finally, Nathan said that if Cal didn't free Rose then he wouldn't get a penny of his inheritance money and that he would be removed from his jobs in the family business.

" I don't do business with criminals, even if the criminal is my own son" said Nathan

Finally Cal relented and told them where Rose was. He said that she was locked up in a small attic room and then handed over a small silver key. He then walked off with a smile on his face. Nathan looked at the key and said that it didn't look like it was to any rooms in his house. They all agreed that Cal couldn't have taken Rose to the house in Philadelphia because the Hockleys were renting it out for the winter. Then an idea came to his mind- the Long Island house. It was unoccupied during this time of year and the only person on the property now was the caretaker. But the caretaker never really went in the house except to prepare it for the family's arrival in the summer. The caretaker mostly tended to the grounds and lived in his own little cottage. It was the perfect place for Cal to have brought Rose. Nathan then called the caretaker and asked if he had seen any one at the property today. The caretaker said no, except for some expensive looking car that stopped in front of the house , it was pretty much quiet. Nathan asked what the car looked like and what make it was. The caretaker said that the car was a black Ford. Nathan had the information that he needed. He knew now that it was Cal's car and that his suspicions were right. He woke his driver and then the three of them were off to Long Island to find Rose.


	9. Chapter 9

Meanwhile in Long Island

Rose Dawson was alone and terrified. She had fought Cal for as long as possible and she had tried to get away from him. However, he had overpowered her with his gun. Now, she sat on a rackety old bed in a dark, cold attic. She was freezing, but she wrapped the only blanket that she had around the baby. Suddenly an idea came to her. She put the baby down on the bed and then threw herself at the door hoping to break it down. She did this a few times but it didn't work. She went back to the bed, picked up the baby, and held her close. She wondered why she had taken the baby in the first place. It would have been much safer to leave her in the playpen. However, what was done was done and Molly was with her. Rose was determined to protect her daughter; after all, this child was her life.

Rose thought about breaking the door down the way Jack and Tommy had so long ago on the Titanic. But, there wasn't any furniture in the room that was heavy enough, besides the bed, which she couldn't lift. Rose was tired and she wanted nothing more then to be at home in her own bed with Jack's arms around her. She missed him terribly and wondered if he was looking for her and if he missed her as much as she missed him.

As it got darker and colder, Rose took the blanket that had been wrapped around the baby, wrapped it around herself, and then held the baby next to her within the blankets. This way, they could share the warmth. Suddenly, the baby began fussing. Rose started to sing her little lullabies and she found herself singing that song that Jack sang to her on the bow of Titanic (" Come Josephine in my flying machine"). In a way, Rose too found that song comforting.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps- some one was coming. She was scared, what if it was Cal? She ran into the closet and waited, praying that it was Jack coming to save her.


	10. Chapter 10

**A Daring Escape**

Cal Hockley never gave up without of fight, which was why he beat his father to the Long Island House. He marched up the stairs ready to take Rose elsewhere. He had planned to leave the baby because what use could someone else's baby be to him?

He hadn't planned for the fight that Rose was going to put up.

" Sweetpea" Rose heard Cal calling to her

She was scared but she wasn't going to let him intimidate her again. She took off the blanket and tore it in two. She created a sling with one half of the blanket and put the baby in the sling. Then she heard the door open and Cal approach. She leapt out of the closet and Cal grabbed her. She managed to get one arm lose and punched Cal in the nose and then kicked him down and ran out of the room.

She was exhausted, hungry and had no place to go. She thought briefly of stealing Cal's car, but then again she didn't really know how to drive. So, she ran as far as she could from the house and began looking for a place to go. Finding someone to help her was a real problem because there was no one around in the neighborhood except the caretakers this time of year. She walked further along the road until she saw a small, white clapboard house that had lights in the windows. She decided to see if anyone was home. Sure enough, an older woman answered the door.

" Can I help you?" asked the woman

Rose explained her situation to the woman not knowing if she would believe her or not. The woman listened and said that she was going into New York City to visit her daughter who lived in Brooklyn and that she could give Rose and Molly a lift. Rose then asked this kind stranger what her name was. Her name was Augusta Sinclair and it turned out that her husband was the caretaker for the land that they lived on and for the house up the driveway. Augusta gave Rose and Molly some warm soup and then loaned Rose a nightgown. Rose fell into a troubled sleep that night thinking about Jack and Cora and how they must be worried sick about her.

Meanwhile, Ruth, Jack and Nathan searched every room in the Long Island house for Rose. They were just about to give up and starting thinking of other places to look when Jack remembered seeing the door to one of the attic rooms open.

" That is strange, no one ever goes up there except the servants and that's only during the summer months," said Nathan

It was then that they had realized that that was the attic room that Cal had taken Rose to. They found Cal sitting on the floor with a bottle in his hand and they saw that his nose had been bleeding.

" Caledon Hockley, I demand to know where Rose is, this instant!" shouted Nathan

" She flew at me and hit me and then ran off and I haven't seen her since" said Cal

_That's my Rose_ thought Jack happily as he wondered where she had gone now.

Then Cal passed out on the floor, they knew why right away because he had almost finished a bottle of whisky. They left him there and went downstairs to plan out their next step.

" It's too late to go from house to house now, why don't we stay here for the night and start looking tomorrow" said Nathan. Ruth yawned and Jack looked down at his watch only to find out that it was 2 am. Ruth managed to find the linen closet and made the beds and then they all went to sleep.

Augusta woke Rose and Molly at seven the next morning and they set off for the city an hour later. Rose was happy because she was finally going home to Jack and Cora.

Meanwhile, Ruth, Jack and Nathan set off to find Rose. They went from house to house ringing doorbells asking if anyone had seen Rose. Finally, they came to the St. Clair house.

" Have you seen a young red-haired woman carrying a five month old baby" asked Ruth

" Yes, a young woman of that description came by our house at about one in the morning. Her name was Rose, I believe." Said George

" That's the one", is she still here" asked Ruth

" My wife took her home to Brooklyn today" said George

The three of them were overjoyed and thanked George and then drove back to Brooklyn, to Rose and Molly.


	11. Chapter 11

**A Reunion and a surprise**

After two long and exhausting days, Rose was finally home. She rushed up the stairs to the apartment expecting Jack to be waiting for her. Instead, the apartment was empty, so she went across the hall to get Cora. Cora and Elsie had been seated at the table doing homework when Rose walked in and when Cora saw Rose, she jumped out of her seat and rushed into Rose's arms. Then she went to get her things, they went home, and Cora excitedly filled Rose in on what had been happening her life. Then Rose fixed Cora a snack and went to give the baby a bath and then put her down for a nap. After she put the baby down for a nap, Rose decided to take a bath. Meanwhile, Jack and Ruth arrived at the apartment.

" Where's mom " Jack asked

" She's in the shower, but she should be out soon," said Cora

Jack sat down to work on some sketches and Ruth went to the kitchen to start supper while they waited. Suddenly, Rose walked out wearing a white bathrobe that set off her red hair. She immediately rushed into Jack's arms and they kissed passionately. Cora giggled and Jack and Rose stopped kissing, looked over at her, and smiled.

" Perhaps we should take this into the bedroom" said Rose

Then they went to the bedroom and closed the door behind them. Meanwhile Ruth had come into the room and had seen her daughter and Jack go into the bedroom. She sensed that they wanted to be alone so she took Cora to her apartment so that Jack and Rose could greet each other properly.

Later that day, Nathan Hockley came over to Ruth's apartment to ask her how Rose was doing and to apologize again for his son's actions. Then he said he had something special to ask Ruth.

" I've thought this over and I decided that it was time for us to take this step. Ruth, I have liked you since we first met. I have always thought that it should have been we that were engaged instead of Cal and Rose. So now I ask you Ruth to be my wife."

Ruth didn't know what to say, she couldn't deny that was a connection between them from the start but she thought that he wouldn't want to marry after the death of his first wife. She knew that it was time to stop denying the inevitable so she turned to him and said yes. He slipped a diamond engagement ring on her finger and they kissed. Then they talked about how to tell their families. Finally, they decided to invite everyone to dinner and break the news. Ruth wasn't sure that she wanted Cal around her daughter anymore, but Nathan reassured her that the whole family was going to be there including Cal's wife and that he wasn't going to touch Rose again.


	12. Chapter 12

**The Announcement**

That fall, there were many changes in the Dawson household. Rose had announced that she was pregnant again and the family was thrilled with the news. Then Jack and Rose realized they weren't going to be able to afford the new baby on the money that they were making. So, Rose gave up the sewing job and took a full time job at the textile factory instead. The boss was hesitant about hiring a pregnant woman, but Rose had received very good reviews at her old job and that convinced the boss to hire her. She would work from seven-thirty in the morning to eight in the evening, it was a very long day, but the job paid more money. The only thing she regretted was having to give up her time with the children. Cora went to Elsie's apartment after school and stayed there until Jack got home from work and Molly went to the daycare at the settlement house and Jack would pick her up there on his way home.

Meanwhile, Ruth and Nathan were planning to announce their engagement. They decided to wait until Thanksgiving to do this. Ruth wasn't sure if she could get her daughter and Cal into the same room after what had happened and when she invited Jack and Rose to Thanksgiving dinner, they were a little apprehensive about agreeing to go. In the end, they agreed only because they didn't like to hold grudges and Nathan told them that Cal had settled down quite a bit in the few months after the incident with Rose.

Rose managed to get Thanksgiving night off from work since her factory closed early for the holiday. She came home looking and feeling utterly exhausted. Luckily, Cora had already gotten Molly ready, so at least Rose wouldn't have her to worry about. So, Rose headed her bedroom to get ready. She found Jack sitting on the bed lacing up his shoes. She smiled, the new suit she had bought him looked good and he looked as handsome as he had that night on the Titanic at the first class party.

" How was work?" he asked

" Same as usual" she said

With that she headed over to her closet to chose the dress that she was going to wear. She knew that none of her dresses were fancy enough to wear to dinner at the Hockley mansion. But they were what she had and she had to make do with them. Suddenly, she saw a dress-sized white box on the bed. She went over to it and opened it and found a note that said: Rose, I was down at Macys and I saw this dress. I thought of you immediately. I hope you like it. – Mom

She removed the wrappings to find a beautiful red dress, that reminded her of the dresses she wore on the Titanic. It was floor length and came with a pair of red shoes that matched the dress.

Meanwhile, Jack, Cora and Molly were waiting patiently for Rose to come out so they could leave. Finally, she emerged from the bedroom looking beautiful. Her red hair was done up in a updo and the dress suited Rose perfectly. Jack couldn't take his eyes off her.

Finally, the family arrived at the Hockley mansion for dinner. They were greeted warmly by Ruth and Nathan, and everyone agreed that Rose looked nice. After dinner had been served, Nathan got up to make his announcement.

" I suppose you all know why we asked you here today " said Nathan

" Because it's Thanksgiving," said Cora

Everyone laughed and then Nathan continued.

" Ruth and I have decided to get married"

Rose looked up in shock and Cal looked like he was about to faint. If his father married Rose's mother then he and Rose would be brother and sister. It was this very fact that had Rose scared and happy at the same time. She had always wanted to have siblings. But Cal as her brother, now that was a scary thought.

" Well, Cal, Rose what do you say?" asked Nathan

" Congratulations" they both said at the same time

Now that the announcement was made, it was time to plan the wedding. It was going to be a very busy time for the Dawson/ Hockley/ Dewitt-Bukater family.


	13. Chapter 13

**The Fight before Christmas**

The family was so busy with planning with the wedding and with holiday preparations, that they didn't notice how fast Christmas came that year. Between work and all the preparations that were taking place, Jack and Rose hardly ever saw each other. When Rose came home from work, she was so tired that she went right to bed and by the time Jack got home Rose was fast asleep. When Rose wasn't working, she was over at the Hockley mansion helping Ruth plan the wedding. Jack had a lot of work over at the advertising agency since they had to work on all the holiday ad campaigns. He was constantly bringing work home. It was around this time that they had their first major fight.

It started one evening when Jack got home from work and found that Rose had fallen asleep at the kitchen table. Jack had always been against Rose working full time and finding her like this had finally made him put his foot down.

" Rose, you can't go on like this" he said

" Go on like what" asked Rose

" Working yourself half to death every day. It's not good for you or the baby" responded Jack

" We need that money, Jack, you know that" said Rose

" I know we need that money but it isn't worth all this" said Jack

" It is if we ever want to move out of this shoebox of an apartment" Rose replied

" As I recall, you liked this apartment, remember, you said any place would be home as long as we have got each other." Said Jack

" That was then, now I know we can do better then this hole" said Rose

" God, I knew you were still a spoiled rich girl" said Jack

" I am not spoiled, if I were spoiled I wouldn't have hung around here for as long as I have" said Rose

" If you don't like it here then maybe you should go some place else."

" Maybe I will!" said Rose

She stormed off to the other room to pack a suitcase and then headed toward the nursery to get Molly. However, Jack stopped her and wouldn't let her take the kids. So, she stormed out of the apartment and headed to her mother's house


	14. Chapter 14

**Cora's Christmas wish**

Jack couldn't believe that Rose had just walked out on him, after all they had been through together, he thought that this would never happen. He wanted her back at home, not just for his sake but also for the sake of the children. Molly was too young to understand that grown-ups fight, but Cora would be able to understand and would start asking questions. He decided to get their minds off everything by taking the girls to see Santa Claus at Macys. Cora helped get Molly ready and dressed her in cherry red dress and shiny black shoes. Cora wore a emerald green dress and a matching hair ribbon in her hair. Finally, after everyone was ready, they headed out to catch the train for Macys. . Jack let Molly walk for a while but then she got cranky and he had to pick her up. Then she started crying for her mother and Jack didn't know what to do. He tried to calm her down as best as he could and then Cora took over and managed to convince Molly to calm down and the rest of the train ride was quiet. Then she asked the question that Jack had been waiting for.

" Where's mom?"

" She had to go to grandma's house" Jack answered quickly

Since it was the day before Christmas Eve, Macys was packed with last minute shoppers and parents taking their little ones to see Santa. Jack felt guilty about coming here without Rose. Especially after, he saw all the other families there with both the mother and the father present.

" Here. I'll take her," said Cora as she took Molly's hand and led her to the long line in front of Santa. Jack smiled as he saw the girls walk off together. Cora had to grow up quickly, too quickly he thought. After all, she lost both parents by the time she was nine years old.

Meanwhile, Cora and Molly finally got to see Santa. Molly was a little surprised at the sight of the man in the red and white suit and looked up at her big sister for support.

" It's ok, it's just Santa. He won't hurt you, he's nice" said Cora

Then Molly climbed into Santa's lap and they took a picture. Afterwards, it was Cora's turn to talk to Santa.

" What do you want for Christmas little girl?" asked Santa

" I want my mom and dad to stop fighting and my mom home on Christmas" responded Cora.

Santa looked a little shocked because usually the kids asked him for new bikes and dolls and stuff for themselves, this little girl was one of the few who didn't. Then Cora hopped off Santa's lap, took Molly's hand, and walked back to Jack.

" Well did you girls ask Santa for anything special?" asked Jack

Molly just nodded and Cora said yes and hoped that she would get what she asked for.


	15. Chapter 15

**Authors note: Thanks for the reviews. Don't worry, Jack and Rose are definitely not divorcing. Now on with the story.**

**A loss and forgivness **

While Jack was out at Macys with the girls, Rose was on her way to her mother's house. Ruth lived in a two-story brownstone house in a quiet residential neighborhood in Brooklyn. When Rose arrived, she gazed up at her mother's window to see if anyone was home and saw that there were no visible lights in the windows. She decided to ring the doorbell anyway because she thought Ruth in a different part of the apartment. Suddenly, she saw someone come out of the door to Ruth's building. She recognized the woman instantly; it was Shelia, her mother's neighbor and friend. Shelia walked up to Rose and said hello and then Rose asked her if Ruth was home or not. Shelia said that Ruth had gone to her fiancée's home for the holidays and would not be home until the 26th. Then Shelia mentioned that Ruth had given her a key to her apartment and asked Rose if she wanted the key. Rose said yes and followed Shelia into the building. Sheila disappeared into her own apartment for a moment and then returned with the key to Ruth's apartment. Then Rose went across the hall to go to her mother's apartment. Suddenly, she felt a stabbing pain in her back and saw a puddle of blood on the floor, she screamed and then fell to the floor in hysterics and pain. Sheila found her on the floor in a pool of blood, clutching her stomach. Sheila quickly ran back to across the hall to her own apartment and called an ambulance. She then ran back to where Rose was on the floor and asked her what happened.

" I was standing there starting to unlock the door and then the pain came and then this" said Rose

" Just lie still, the medics are on their way," said Sheila reassuringly.

Five minutes later, the medics arrived and took Rose to the hospital. Sheila then went home and called Ruth at the Hockley house.

" Ruth, there has been a problem with Rose and she is on her way to the hospital, they need her next of kin there and I don't have her husband's phone number or address. Could you meet Rose at the hospital and contact her husband?"

Ruth was shocked and said that she would be at the hospital within the next few minutes and would contact Jack. After Ruth hung up, she went to the parlor to talk to Nathan. She explained the situation and Nathan said that he would send a car to pick up Jack and get him to Rose. Then Ruth left for the hospital and Nathan drove off to get Jack.

Back at the Dawson apartment, Jack had just seen Cora off to bed and had sat down at the table to work on some sketches. While he was flipping through his sketchbook to find the place where he left off, he happened upon a sketch he had done of Rose that summer at the beach. She was sitting on a rock in light pink summery dress, her arms wrapped around her legs. He thought of her then and missed her. He was sorry he had ever called her spoiled; in fact, she was the least spoiled person he knew. Suddenly, he heard a knock at the door. He was surprised to see Nathan Hockley at the door.

Then Nathan told Jack about what had happened to Rose and that he was needed at the hospital. Jack was shocked and demanded to know what was wrong with Rose. Nathan said he didn't know yet and that there was a car waiting downstairs. Jack rushed into Cora's room and woke her and then went to the nursery and woke Molly. While Cora got Molly dressed, Jack went to the bedroom to change out of his pajamas. Finally, all three were ready and they headed to City hospital.

Ruth was waiting outside of the hospital when they arrived and the took the sleepy children home so that Jack could be with Rose. Jack rushed the stairs to the ward were Ruth had told him that Rose was. The ward was quiet and smelled like medicines and sickness. He went up to the night nurse to ask where Rose was and then was lead to her room. The doctor was there when he walked in and then took Jack aside to explain what had happened to Rose.

" Your wife has had a miscarriage, Mr. Dawson," Said the doctor in a sullen voice.

" Is she going to be ok?" asked Jack quietly.

" Physically, she will be back to normal in a few days, but mentally and emotionally it could take longer for her to recover. She is going to need a lot of support to get through this," replied the doctor.

Jack went back into Rose's room to try to comfort her. She was lying in bed staring up at the ceiling and had tears running down her cheeks. Jack immediately took her in his arms and held her while she cried.

" I killed our baby. I worked too hard, there was too much stress, I killed our baby," she cried.

" It's not your fault, Rose. Don't you ever think that it is for a moment. There will be plenty more babies in our lives. Just you wait and see. Meanwhile tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Maybe Santa will bring you something nice," said Jack quietly. On the outside, Rose smiled a little at the mention of Christmas. However, on the inside, she was falling apart. She began sobbing again and Jack lie down next to her, put his arms around her, and quietly began talking to her about Christmas and the girls. And little by little, Rose began to calm down and fell asleep in Jack's arms.


End file.
